I opened the door to my office and walked in, Ashur on my heels.

"If you want me to wear that thing, you're going to have to shell out something of equal or greater value," I laughed as I sat down at my chair. "So think long and hard about how much you really want me to."

"Wait—so you might actually wear it?" Ashur asked hopefully as he settled into the chair across from me, what I now thought of as his chair.

Yup, completely losing the battle against getting used to having him here.

"Only if you wear what I pick out for you," I warned as I opened up my computer. "I think you might be missing the point of what I'm saying."

He smiled, setting his forearms on my desk, the corded muscle bared by his rolled up sleeves, his eyes sparkling with mischief. Man, he was so hot. My heart actually skipped a beat, but I wasn't going to tell him that. He was confident enough and I didn't need to give him more ammo.

"Well, I might be persuaded to put on what you have in mind," he drawled. "So long as I get to see you in that lacy number." He smile widened. "And if it'll get you going, I'll gladly put on whatever you want."

"You might not say that when you see what I'm thinking of," I teased, wagging my eyebrows at him. "Assless chaps might be on the list."

He laughed. "I don't think—"

His watch started beeping, a high pitched steady sound that immediately got both of our attention.

He frowned, bringing it up and turning the sound off.

"What is it?" I asked. It sounded like an alarm of some kind.

He didn't look ready for it. Ashur's mouth pressed into a tight line as he read whatever was on the display.

"It's Enzi. Someone's taking issue with the instructions I left," he said grimly.

That didn’t sound good at all.

"You should go," I urged, my stomach sinking even as I said it. But that was my own selfishness speaking—I really liked having him around.

He looked up at me.

"I don't want to leave you here alone," he argued. "You're more important."

My heart melted a little. I didn't want him to go either, but not because of my safety.

"Everything's been quiet," I said. "Nothing else has happened. You can go take care of this." I stood up from my seat and walked around the desk to lean against the side in front of him. "I'll be fine."

He shook his head as he stood up and braced his hands on the desk on either side of my hips, leaning against me. He searched my face, his eyes worried.

"I don't know. I don't want to leave you vulnerable."

I sighed. I uncrossed my arms and wrapped them around his waist. I really didn't want him to go, but he couldn't neglect his responsibilities for me.

"You can't be my bodyguard forever," I said softly. "As much as I appreciate it, I'm going to have to do things on my own eventually, right?"

"All right," he said, leaning his forehead against mine. "I don't like it, though. I'll be back as soon as I resolve this, okay?"

"Everything will be fine," I reassured him. "Don't worry, okay?"

"I'm going to worry," he said wryly. "Check your messages while I'm gone," he ordered. "If you don't respond quickly I might just drop everything and show up."

I laughed. "I will," I promised. "I'm not going to add to your worry."

"Okay,” he said. “Okay."

Then he stepped back and pulled me hard against him to lay a warm kiss on my lips, his arms tight around me. I kissed him back just as heatedly, not wanting him to go. But we lived in the real world where there were other things to think of besides us. He broke the kiss reluctantly.

"The quicker I go, the quicker I can come back," he said regretfully.

I already felt the loss, but I tried to inject some cheer into my voice. "Go. Let me know how it turns out."

"I'll see you soon, Mia Hill," he said as he stepped out of the office. "You can count on it."

"I'll look forward to it. And have a pair of chaps ready for your return."

He flashed me that panty-dropping grin.

And then he was gone, striding out my office and out of the building.

I immediately felt more alone.

"Get ahold of yourself," I muttered, sitting back down at the computer. "You're a strong, independent woman. You're fine."

I couldn't shake the feeling of melancholy no matter how sternly I spoke to myself. That didn't mean I didn't have work to do. No matter what else happened, the grind was always there to get back to. I sighed and checked the time. I needed to head out to a job.

I grabbed the rectangular, flat box I needed to deliver, tucked it under my arm, and got up. I locked my office door, stepped out of the building and onto the sidewalk outside. I needed to drop the package off at a construction site not that far from my office, so I decided to walk the distance. It was far enough that I would normally have taken a trolley for some of the distance, but I needed the walk to clear my head too.

I cut through a short alley after making sure it was empty, and came out onto another crowded street, but I caught something in the reflection of the storefront across from me.

I glanced over my shoulder at the crowd behind me.

Nothing.

Maybe I was just being paranoid now that Ashur wasn't here with me anymore. I kept going, though I was on higher alert now. I never ignored my instincts.

I took a more winding route to the site than I had to, in order to make sure. I caught a flash of something again when I abruptly crossed the street without warning.

A large shadow, there and gone.

Maybe I really was being followed.

I checked my watch. I really didn't have time to deal with this since I'd taken the extra time to walk the distance. I'd drop off the package first and then see about my tail.

I turned onto the street the construction crew was on. An entire building had been razed and the pieces carted off, and now Better Views Construction was handling the building of whatever was going to replace it. A lot of the buildings here were torn down and rebuilt since space was limited and there weren't new areas to develop. The construction side of the street was closed off, directing all traffic to the other side and clogging the place up even more.

What a nightmare.

I reached the address and glanced around at the empty steel frame that was being erected. It was already high enough that it made me slightly dizzy to look at. A small office was set in the corner of the first floor, a temporary bungalow construct standard for sites like this. There were maybe fifteen guys working, complete with yellow hard hats and heavy tool belts.

Maybe I'd add a construction worker costume to the list for Ashur.

I looked at one of them as I made my way to the office, but he turned away, his hat shadowing his face. Guess he was shy. Shrugging, I knocked on the door to the office.

"Come in!" a voice barked from inside.

I stepped in, taking in the small, cramped room quickly. There were tools, chairs, a small cooler. Looked like a storage area for a bunch of stuff. And then a desk with a bunch of tools in the corner, with a middle aged man behind it.

He had the build of an aging athlete, with broad shoulder and muscle under the layer of fat the years had put on him. He was working on something on his computer when I came in, his broad, ruddy face focused. I checked the plaque on his desk. Roy Schumer. This was the guy.

"I have a delivery?" I prodded when he didn't look up.

He glanced up at me. His eyes went first to my face and then to the package.

"Oh, great. I was waiting for that." He held his hand out for the package and smiled at me. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I said, smiling back.

If only every job went this smoothly. I stepped back out of the office within a minute of going in. That was easy—and yeah, I totally jinxed it by thinking that.

I walked across the smooth concrete, towards the street.

A few of the workers started moving too. I didn't think anything of it.

Until they blocked my way to the street, arranging themselves into a semicircle in front of me.

Until the weapons came out.

Shit.

I came to a stop as I saw a bow, a couple of knives, and what looked like a machete.

Their faces were shadowed by the hats, but now that they were all together and in front of me, I could make out familiar features. And the familiar eyes of that same damn guy who'd followed me before. Did he follow me again today?

"Shit, they have weapons!" I heard another of the workers say. I heard curses as the legitimate workers stopped what they were doing and scrambled away, but I didn't turn to look.

The threat was in front of me.

I was in the worst spot.

Too far from cover, blocked from the street.

If I moved in, the close quarter weapons were dangerous.

If I stayed here, the guy with the bow would get me without breaking a sweat.

So I needed to move in.

I couldn't just stand there like a sitting duck.

All of this went through my mind in a split second, time slowing as adrenaline burst through me.

I slid my knives into my hands and threw one in the direction of the bowman as I ran towards the opening in the center of the group.

He cursed. I think it was a hit, but I didn't think he was incapacitated.

I didn't look as I focused on the ones directly in my way. This wasn't going to go well, but I had to try something. I pulled out the short sword, a weapon in each hand.

I glanced over at the bowman as I reached the halfway point between me and them, the others starting to move towards me. He was raising his bow, his arrow already notched. The knife was embedded in his thigh. A hit, but not a useful one in this case. He was going to get me before I reached their line. I knew it.

I pushed more speed from my legs even as I braced to take a hit that could be fatal.

A blur of movement caught my eye.

What the—

Life sped up again as I heard the arrow leave the bow with a familiar twang.

And hit Jacob.

"Jacob!" I shouted, grabbing him as he stumbled back, the arrow embedded deep in his chest.

Too deep.

He was too heavy for me to keep up, so I helped him lie down quickly.

"Watch your back, Hill," he ordered, pulling out a smaller knife and throwing it almost without looking.

I heard a short scream behind me.

Shit.

I turned around to see them closing in, only a few feet away. The bowman was just reaching for another arrow, his face grim.

I got to my feet and held my sword out.

They weren't getting to Jacob.

Two of them came at me at once. I stabbed one in the side and thrust the sword at the other, only managing to graze the side of his arm. The one I stabbed snarled, and I quickly ducked a punch as I pulled another knife and stabbed him in the thigh. He really wasn't happy after that.

I took a punch to my side that was really going to smart later.

Stepping back, I yelled as I kicked the guy who punched me in the upper stomach, his breath bursting out of him in a wheeze.

But the other two were closing in as well. There was no way I was going to be able to hold them all off.

My grip on my sword slipped and I thought it was because I was sweaty. But when I looked down, my hand was bloody from a slice to my forearm I hadn't even noticed. I quickly rubbed my hand on my jeans even as I knew it would take too much time.

This was it.

I thought of Ashur, of Omari.

But then froze as something whizzed by my ear.

And then something else on my other side.

Shit!

I crouched down, scrambling to cover Jacob even as he tried to push me off.

"Get to cover!" he demanded, his voice too weak.

Blood was spreading across his chest from where the arrow pierced his chest.

"No," I said shortly, glancing up to see what was going on.

The arrows were coming from . . . 

I glanced over at the office. The other workers hadn't run away. They'd run to their own weapons. Four of them were in shooting stances, the others, at the ready with bats, knives, and . . . was that a crowbar?

My attackers didn't stand a chance. They were outnumbered.

They turned and bolted.

I watched as one took a hit to the shoulder as they ran away.

And another took one to the calf.

They were lucky. I didn't think the workers were aiming to kill. Too bad.

I took off my jacket as I heard sirens drawing closer. Someone had called for help. I shoved the fabric up against Jacob's wound, trying to stem the flow of blood.

"You idiot," I whispered, glancing at his face. It was too pale and drawn.

"Show some gratitude. I saved your life," he said, smiling even as he coughed. "Shit."

"Help's almost here," I said, glancing up as Roy walked up to us. "Thank you."

He nodded, his jaw clenched as he looked towards where the men had run.

"Stupid move on their part," he said. "We have weapons on hand to prevent copper stripping." He looked down at Jacob. "The paramedics should be here soon. You hang on there, son."

Jacob nodded weakly. "Piece . . . of . . . cake."

I tamped down on the rage inside me that wanted to take over.

That was it.

Now I was pissed.